Email BethanyLoeffLer@yahoo.com with questions or ideas for our next newsletter!

ries

I S S U E

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 7

39 MONTHLY NEWS

from the ADVISORY

COUNCIL’s CATHOLIC IDENTITY COMMITTEE Family Connection

Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention

for November

Christians in Asia

That Christians in

Asia, bearing witness

to the Gospel in word

and deed, may

promote dialogue,

peace, and mutual

understanding,

especially with those

of other religions. CONGRATULATIONS to all the students confirmed in our parish this month!

CONGRATULATIONS to our beloved shepherd who has been honored by Pope Francis with

the title Chaplain of His Holiness and will soon be deemed Monsignor Eckert!

• The 3rd

,4th

and 5th

graders of Holy Trinity

say the Novena in honor of Our Lady of

the Miraculous Medal after Mass on

Mondays.

• There is a Miraculous Medal Shrine in

Philadelphia honoring the Blessed Mother

as She appeared to St. Catherine Laboure

in 1830.

St. Catherine Laboure was a young novice in Paris, France when Our Lady appeared to her

several times, to instruct her in the mission of having the Miraculous Medal made. The first

visit lasted two hours with Catherine kneeling in front of Mary while she sat in a chair in the

chapel. In a later vision Mary appeared as the Immaculate Conception, which was the image

she wanted Catherine to put on the medal including the prayer:

“Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

Mary’s wish was for all of her children to wear the medal as a reminder to do works of charity,

especially with the poor. She also promised graces to those who wear the medal and pray for

Mary’s help. Catherine did as Mary asked and only shared these visions with her confessor,

since Mary told her to keep her appearances a secret. For 46 years, until her death, Catherine

silently witnessed the wonders and miracles that resulted from a devotion to the Miraculous

Medal. This “Saint of Ordinary People” devoted her life to caring for the elderly in Paris. She

was declared a saint in 1947 by Pope Pius XII.

The Miraculous Medal Shrine. In 1915 Father Joseph Skelly

founded the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal as a

way to pay homage to Mary under this title. He built the Shrine

in Philadelphia in 1927 with many beautiful statues and

mosaics of Mary and smaller votive prayer. There is a replica

of the chair that the Blessed Mother sat in when she first

appeared to Catherine and a piece of fabric from the original

chair, which makes it a second-class relic. To learn more about

the Organization and the Shrine go to CAMMonline.org.

National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) is an annual

week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the

United States dedicated to promote vocations to the

priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer

and education, and to renew our prayers and support for

those who are considering one of these particular

vocations. NVAW began in 1976 when the U. S. bishops

designated the 28th Sunday of the year for NVAW.

Beginning in 2014, NVAW was moved to the first full

week of November. (usccb.org)

Parents, pray daily for your children to know and follow

their vocation someday!

National Vocation Awareness Week

November 5 - 11, 2017

heedthecall.org

Imagine a man sitting in a

warm room on a hot day.

“I’m doing fine. I feel fine,”

he says as he wipes sweat

from his brow. Then

someone turns on the air

conditioner in the room,

and the man starts to feel

better. He didn’t even

realize how uncomfortable

he had been until now. Now

he can breathe more easily,

relax better, or get work

done more comfortably.

Confirmation is like turning on that air conditioner. The

Holy Spirit brings 7 gifts to a person’s life at Confirmation

that make life better. The 7 gifts work hand-in-hand with

the virtues, the fruit of the Spirit, and the beatitudes. We

are given the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation, but

we develop them through experience and exercise them

by fighting the good fight.